S5728 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 31, 2012 

Today, Montana veterans still rely on 

the hospital in Fort Harrison for their 

basic medical needs. 

During his work, Jack met the acquaintance and earned the respect of 

Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John 

F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford. 

Jack had a truly remarkable life and 

career of service to our country. He 

served as the national commander-inchief of Veterans of Foreign Wars from 

1958 to 1959. 

He served as the national chairman 

of the Veterans for John F. Kennedy’s 

Presidential campaign committee in 

1960. He also served as the under secretary to the VA Memorial Services 

and Director of the National Cemetery 

System in the Nixon administration. 

On this very day, we have brave 

Americans patrolling the mountains of 

Afghanistan. May Jack’s memory be a 

reminder of the obligation we owe to 

these brave warriors when they come 

home. His legacy is a reminder of what 

dedicated public service can deliver for 

our Nation’s finest. We will miss you, 

Jack.∑ 

f 

TRIBUTE TO DES R. GOYAL 

∑ Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I rise 

today to honor Des R. Goyal as he completes a long and distinguished career 

with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

USACE. Mr. Goyal was born and educated in India, where he eventually received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. In 

1970, he came to the United States to 

further his studies while earning his 

U.S. citizenship. Mr. Goyal started his 

career with the Corps in 1978 as a 

project engineer on navigation locks in 

the Corps of Engineers Huntington District. Since that time, he has held numerous assignments with the Corps of 

Engineers, including working on military construction projects in Saudi 

Arabia and serving in Germany as 

Chief of the Mechanical/Electrical design branch for the Corps of Engineers 

Europe Division. In 1999, he was assigned the job of Chief, Operations Division, Kansas City District of the 

Corps of Engineers. 

2011 was arguably the most challenging year in the 114-plus-year history of the Corps of Engineers, Kansas 

City District. While executing the 

challenging Operations and Maintenance program, the District battled an 

epic 145-day flood in the Missouri River 

Basin and established a Recovery Field 

Office in Joplin, MO to respond to the 

fifth deadliest tornado in U.S. history. 

As an integral part of the Operations 

Division, Mr. Goyal led the effort to 

ensure his Emergency Management and 

Contingency Operations were fully 

manned by competent personnel from 

throughout the District. These additional missions comprised approximately 25 percent of the Kansas City 

District’s workforce at various times, 

placing significant stress on the organization. However, Mr. Goyal remained 

poised and calm, responding with a 

plea for volunteers, and was instrumental in the success of these efforts. 

During these challenges, he clearly 

demonstrated strong leadership and 

technical competency. His past experiences significantly augmented the success of the mission during this timeframe. 

Throughout his career, Des Goyal has 

promoted leadership and mission execution. He has mentored many USACE 

employees and military personnel 

while leading the efforts on large, complex projects and programs throughout 

the world. He has tremendous passion 

for the advancement of his colleagues 

and those they serve. He championed 

the use of the Student Career Employment Program, SCEP, in the Corps of 

Engineers Northwest District, which 

serves as a valuable tool in providing 

college students the critical experience 

and networking opportunities to encourage employment in a public service career. Mr. Goyal continues to 

press for positive change through a 

focus on good government, professional 

organizations and community service. 

I thank Des Goyal for his service to 

his adopted country and wish Des and 

his wife, Usha, an enjoyable retirement.∑ 

f 

NORTHWEST KIDNEY CENTERS 

∑ Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, 

today I wish to congratulate Northwest 

Kidney Centers on its 50th Anniversary. Northwest Kidney Centers was established as the first out-of-hospital dialysis program in the world, opening 

its doors in Seattle, WA, on January 8, 

1962. 

Just 2 years after the development of 

the Teflon shunt at the University of 

Washington, community leaders in Seattle came together to raise money and 

find a space to establish a center to deliver dialysis treatments outside of a 

hospital, which led to the creation of 

the community-based Northwest Kidney Centers. 

Chronic kidney disease is now an epidemic, affecting one in seven American 

adults. Northwest Kidney Centers is 

working to reverse this trend, focusing 

on community education and prevention. Each year, Northwest Kidney 

Centers allocates funding toward public health education about kidney disease and organ donation, participating 

in outreach events and reaching more 

than 12,000 people with kidney information. It also developed a ‘‘Living Well 

with CKD’’ program which offers classes on treatment options and good nutrition. This program reaches nearly 

1,000 pre-dialysis patients and family 

members each year, at no cost to the 

participants. 

I take great pride in the fact that Seattle is the birthplace of chronic dialysis treatments and that Northwest Kidney Centers continues to take the lead 

on developments in the field. Northwest Kidney Centers hosted clinical 

trials to develop the anti-anemia drug 

Epogen, and set up the Northwest 

Organ Procurement Agency. In 2008, 

Northwest Kidney Centers spearheaded 

the creation of the Kidney Research Institute, a collaboration with the University of Washington Medical School 

which has become a scientific leader 

focusing on ways to prevent, detect, 

treat, and eventually cure kidney disease. 

I applaud Northwest Kidney Centers 

for its contributions to the State of 

Washington and the kidney disease and 

dialysis field as a whole. As the organization celebrates its 50th Anniversary, 

I extend my congratulations to the entire Northwest Kidney Centers community—patients, physicians, employees, 

supporters and volunteers—and thank 

them for their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of kidney 

patients in my State.

f 

∑ 

RECOGNIZING THE MIDCOAST 

AREA VETERANS MEMORIAL 

WALL 

∑ Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I 

wish to honor and recognize with the 

highest esteem the many volunteers, 

veterans’ organizations and civic and 

municipal entities responsible for establishing the Midcoast Area Veterans 

Memorial Wall in Rockland, Maine, 

that honors the extraordinary service 

and sacrifice of all our Nation’s military veterans. 

Established and managed by the 

Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial Corporation, a nonprofit corporation comprised of members from the American 

Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars 

(VFW), the Marine Corps League, 

Rockland Rotary, Rockland Kiwanis, 

the Benevolent and Protective Order 

(BPO) of Elks, and the City of Rockland, the Memorial Wall is located on 

upper Limerock Street in Rockland on 

property owned by the American Legion Post No. 1. The location of the 

Memorial is, appropriately, also the 

site of an 1861 Civil War encampment of 

the local Fourth Regiment of Maine 

Volunteers. 

Undeniably, nothing unites us more 

as Mainers and Americans than the 

limitless pride we take in our revered 

and noble veterans. Indeed, in Maine, 

we also cherish the tremendous distinction of having, on any given day, the 

second most veterans per capita of any 

State in the Nation. Such devotion to 

country is the embodiment of the selfsacrificing principles that Mainers live 

by and have passed down from one generation to the next. This selfless way of 

thinking also inspired and motivated a 

small group of individuals more than 16 

years ago to begin formulating plans to 

establish a memorial to honor our veterans in Midcoast Maine. After a long, 

dedicated effort and several site location changes, the Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial Wall has finally secured a permanent home. 

The Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial Wall is by all accounts a beautifully designed and landscaped tribute 


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